Easel



May 25, 1965 E. G. LUSTMAN EASELL Filed May a," 1963 fldred lusz 'mn 5% [6; @r f United States Patent 3,185,294 EASEL Eldred G. Lustrnan, Mount Prospect, Ill., assignor to Helene Curtis Industries, Inc, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Filed May 3, 1963, Ser. No. 277,748 Claims. (Cl. 296-4525) The present invention relates to an easel structure and relates in particular to such a structure having provision for restraining the easel against collapse. The easel structure preferably is associated with an enclosure for containing an article, and is described in such relationship.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an easel structure from a sheet of material wherein an easel supporting member carries an oppositely protruding brace portion by which it may be restrained against collapse.

A further object is the provision of such an easel structure wherein the easel supporting member and brace portion are integral and hinged to a panel for supporting the panel in generally upright position.

A further object is the provision of such an easel structure combined with an integral enclosure forming part which cooperates with the brace portion to restrain the easel supporting member or members.

These and other objects will be apparent upon consideration of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention by way of example, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the invention in assembled form with part broken away;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view similar to FIGURE 1 and showing a closure flap by dot and dash lines in open position; and,

FIGURE 3 is a layout of the flat blank from which the structure shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 is made.

Referring to the drawing, FIGURE 1, the assembled display package is in the form of an easel carrying an enclosure 1 on its forward face, and the easel is maintained in upright position by a pair of tabs 3 and 4 (FIG- URES 1 and 3) hinged thereto. The entire structure is preferably made from a single sheet of cardboard or similar material and its construction and operation now will be described:

Referring to FIGURE 3, the easel blank 5 is cut from a single sheet cardboard stock so as to provide a back portion 6, a bottom panel 7 for the container, between the score lines 8 and 9 (shown by broken lines), a front panel 11 for the container, a top panel 12 between the score lines 13 and 14, and a tab portion 15. The bottom and top panels 7 and 12 of the container carry laterally extending flaps 16, 17, 18 and 19, and the front 11 carries flaps 20 and 21. These flaps are all scored along the lines 22 and 23 so that they may be folded, and are severed at their contiguous edges. That is, flaps 16 and 17 are separated from flaps 29 and 21 respectively by the removal of wedge shaped pieces, and flaps 18 and 19 are separated by cuts 24-, 25 from flaps 20, 21. Flap 20 has an intermediate score 26, and flap 21 has a similar score 27.

The back panel 6 has two wings 3 and 4 integral therewith which are scored along the lines 22, 23 and have U- shaped cuts 28, 29 extending from the score line into the back panel to provide brace portions 31, 32. These wings are separated from flaps 16, 17 by the removal of wedge shaped portions.

To assemble the device, the blank is folded at the score lines 8, 9 and 13 by folding the successive portions to the right of these score lines (as seen in FIGURE 3) in an upward direction, and folding the portion 15 reversely at the score line 14. The portion 15 then is placed against the back 6 as shown in FIGURE 1, and secured thereto in ice a suitable manner, as by adhesive, indicated at 32. The structure so far formed would consist of a rectangular tubular like member of which one wall is the back 6, and the other walls are 7, 11 and 12.

The flaps 16, 18 are now folded oppositely toward each other, on the score line 22, and the flap 20 first is folded on score line 26, then on score line 22. This provides a part 20A that constitutes a closing wall for the end of the tubular member, and a part 203 that serves as a tongue fitting into the tube. Assembled in this position as shown in FIGURE 2 the part 20 forms a conventional end closure for the tubular member. In a similar manner, after an article is inserted into the tubular member, the flaps 17, 19 and 21 are folded in forming parts 21A and 21B to close the opposite end and entirely encase the article. If desired, a window may be provided in panel 11 to allow the article to be seen from the exterior. When assembled in this way, the package is ready for shipment. To display the package on a surface, the tab 3 is folded rearwardly on score line 22 in the direction of the arrow (FIGURE 1) and in so doing the back panel 6 arches sufficiently to permit the brace portion 32 to move past the closure part 20A. Upon release of tab 3 it tends to spring back to its unfolded position in alignment with back 6, but such spring back movement is restrained by the engagement of brace portion 32 with end closure 20A. As a result the easel tab 3 is held firmly against collapse. Easel tab 4 is similarly folded into operative position and held against collapse by engagement of its brace portion 31 engaging closure part 21A.

The order of assembly may be changed from that described above, and various other changes will be apparent which do not depart from the invention described and claimed.

I claim as my invention:

1. An easel structure comprising a sheet of material having an easel tab joined to said sheet and having an extension of said easel tab to provide a brace portion and having a score line at the junction of said easel tab and sheet, but not extending upon said extension, an opening being cut in the sheet at said extension, so that upon folding said easel tab backwardly on the score line, said extension passes through said opening and forms a coplanar forward extension of said easel tab, another edge of the sheet having a spacer panel portion thereon, a front panel portion on the spacer panel, and a flap extending laterally of the front panel portion, the flap being scored for folding to provide a side Wall closure which overlaps the cut opening in the sheet and is located to engage said brace portion for blocking return movement of said easel tab.

2. An easel structure comprising a relatively rigid sheet of material having an integral easel tab hinged along each of two substantially parallel edges of said sheet and adapted to turn backwardly at said hinges to extend backwardly substantially normal to said sheet, brace portions integral with the easel tabs extending across the respective hinges into the sheet of material and severed from the sheet so that upon turning the easel tab on its hinge to backward position, the brace portion swings therewith in coplanar alignment with the tab, and means comprising extensions from a third edge of said sheet scored to be folded into an enclosure on the forward face of said sheet to provide a movable wall adjacent each of said parallel edges, each of said walls being positioned to engage a brace portion and block return turning of an easel tab.

3. An easel structure as specified in claim 2 wherein said extensions include a front wall adapted to be held parallel adjacent said sheet and having hinged flaps forming edge closures for the enclosure and each providing said movable wall.

4. An easel structure comprising a sheet of material having an integral easel tab along each of two substantially parallel edges of said sheet, a cut being formed in said sheet to sever therefrom extensions of each easel tab to provide brace portions, a score line being provided at the junction of each such easel tab and sheet, but not extending upon said extension, so that upon folding each easel tab backward on the score line, each extension separates at its out from the sheet and forms a forward extension of said easel tab, a transverse edge of the sheet having a spacer panel portion thereon, a front panel portion on the spacer panel, and flaps extending laterally of the front panel portion, the flaps being scored for folding to provide a side wall closure which overlaps the cut in the sheet and is located to engage each brace portion for blocking return movement of each easel tab.

5. An easel structure comprising a sheet of material having (a) an easel tab joined to said sheet and havingan extension of said easel tab to provide a brace portion, (b) a score line at the junction of said easel tab and sheet, but not extending upon said extension, (0) an opening being cut in the sheet. at said extension to receive said extension 4 when in collapsed fiat position so that upon folding said easel tab backwardly on the score line, said extension forms a coplanar forward extension of said easel tab, (d)

an enclosure on the face of said sheet adapted to receive an article therein, and (e) means to engage said brace portion for blocking return movement of said easel tab.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS T HERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

EARLE J. DRUMMOND, GEORGE O. RALSTON,

Examiners. 

1. AN EASEL STRUCTURE COMPRISING A SHEET OF MATERIAL HAVING AN EASEL TAB JOINED TO SAID SHEET AND HAVING AN EXTENSION OF SAID EASEL TAB TO PROVIDE A BRACE PORTION AND HAVING A SCORE LINE AT THE JUNCTION OF SAID EASEL TAB AND SHEET, BUT NOT EXTENDING UPON SAID EXTENSION, AN OPENING BEING CUT IN THE SHEET AT SAID EXTENSION, SO THAT UPON FOLDING SAID EASEL TAB BACKWARDLY ON THE SCORE LINE, SAID EXTENSION PASSES THROUGH SAID OPENING AND FORMS A COPLANAR FORWARD EXTENSION OF SAID EASEL TAB, ANOTHER EDGE OF THE SHEET HAVING A SPACER PANEL PORTION THEREON, A FRONT PANEL PORTION ON THE SPACER PANEL, AND A FLAP EXTENDING LATERALLY OF THE FRONT PANEL PORTION, THE FLAP BEING SCORED FOR FOLDING TO PROVIDE A SIDE WALL CLOSURE WHICH OVERLAPS THE CUT OPENING IN THE SHEET AND IS LOCATED TO ENGAGE SAID BRACE PORTION FOR BLOCKING RETURN MOVEMENT OF SAID EASEL TAB. 